We’ve written about adaptive learning as an AI-powered training solution and how it creates personal learning journeys based on a learner’s performance and responses. This technology is truly a turning point in the evolution of digital training — but what comes next?
Researchers believe that with advancements in AI and large language models, interactions with computers will become more like human-to-human interactions. AI will enable designers to create more learner-centred experiences and engage learners deeper with their coursework. This makes AI an especially strong toolkit for expanding adaptive learning models, and instructional designers are already seizing the opportunity to use the tech in new and exciting ways.
10 Ways AI is revolutionising instructional design and L&D
Here are some of the ways instructional designers and eLearning content developers are using AI in training and course design, as well as to create better learning journeys in less time.
- AI is used for creative ideation that sparks novel topic ideas. It can refine ideas and make them more actionable while challenging assumptions and biases.
- AI can create specialised assistants for various instructional design tasks, as well as “always on” tutor bots that deliver learning and provide feedback and support.
- AI draws from a vast body of resources, allowing designers to quickly gather and synthesise information about a topic. Specialised AI research tools can also help designers quickly understand the topic they’re designing for.
- AI can help with course and lesson planning. Based on the lesson goal and audience, it can write optimal instructional scripts for target learners and goals. It can also generate a variety of scenario-based learning activities (e.g. interactive case studies or role-playing simulations) and present content in various layouts.
- AI tools can design and produce multimodal learning materials at pace and scale. It can rapidly generate image, video and audio content from a variety of content formats.
- Existing content can be curated, updated, adapted, localised and translated to tailor it to diverse cultures and for a variety of learner personas.
- Designers can use AI to extract meaningful patterns and predictions from complex data sets. Analysing and visualising data can help inform design iterations.
- AI can analyse course content, write questions that align with learning objectives, and generate plausible incorrect answers.
- AI can perform sentiment analyses based on learner feedback, and predict learning outcomes based on performance data.
- Designers can use existing work to “teach” AI tools a specific style, and then apply the style guide to brand AI’s outputs.
Step into AI-assisted instructional design with Articulate and aNewSpring
New Leaf Technologies has partnered with two global leaders in the eLearning sphere: Articulate and aNewSpring. Both platforms’ forward-thinking approach allows instructional designers to harness the power of a host of new AI capabilities that will help them improve their efficiency (speed at which they work) and effectiveness (quality of the work they produce).
Articulate 360 for content authoring
Articulate 360 is a comprehensive suite of AI-powered SCORM authoring tools that streamline and accelerate course creation. The platform’s two award-winning content-authoring apps, Rise 360 (cloud-based) and Storyline 360 (desktop) simplify online course creation from start to finish, providing instructional designers with everything they need to author multi-device courses, source assets, speed up stakeholder reviews, and grow their creator skills.
Articulate 360 have released Articulate AI. This AI assistant includes a host of AI-powered features to speed up course creation while ensuring that all AI-generated content aligns with learning objectives and instructional design best practices, as well as AI safety and security protocols.
Designers are to use the AI assistant to compose instructive copy, generate high-quality quizzes, summaries, and imagery, and transform source documents like PDFs or PowerPoint presentations into interactive training in mere minutes.
With Articulate’s AI Video, designers will be able to create professional-quality training videos featuring AI-generated realistic actors, natural-sounding voices, and custom backgrounds.
The importance of SCORM-compliant content
Why do you need SCORM-compliant content? The main benefit is it allows content authors to distribute their content to a variety of LMSs without modification, reducing the need for developers to create different versions of the same content. The content also adapts based on user interactions and preferences, providing a more personalised experience which, in turn, leads to better learning outcomes. Another top feature is that learning leaders can track learner progress and performance right in the LMS, generating data points that are essential for assessing eLearning programmes’ effectiveness.
Articulate’s authoring tools allow designers to easily create SCORM-compliant eLearning courses and training content from the ground up. SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model and is a standard for ensuring that eLearning courses and learning management systems (LMSs) can communicate with each other.
To create SCORM files, the authoring tool breaks down eLearning materials into individual units or learning objects such as a lesson, module or quiz. It adds metadata that helps the LMS interpret and display the course appropriately and packages the course into a ZIP file that contains all the course elements. This ZIP file can then be imported into your LMS, and you can start designing your course.
Articulate 360 provides a simple way to export SCORM-compliant courses that can be used in a SCORM-compliant LMS such as aNewSpring.
aNewSpring blended learning platform
aNewSpring is a blended learning platform and a leader in the use of AI in training and L&D. It’s an expert in adaptive learning, employing two AI algorithms that enable the content to adapt to an individual learner’s knowledge gaps and create new, personalised learning routes. The platform allows easy integration with Synthesia.io, which means designers can convert text into real-to-life talking avatars, and transform ideas, PDFs, decks, and websites into videos using AI and pre-designed templates.
aNewSpring’s secret weapon is its powerful native authoring tool that allows instructional designers to build engaging learning journeys with all the benefits of a blended learning system.
Designers can create features like multiple-choice questions, integrations, and hotspot questions. They can also add multiple content formats and curate external content — videos, images and third-party hosted media — with just a few clicks. The authoring tools also help designers reuse and manage content to create several courses based on the same content pulled from content libraries.
aNewSpring is certified in SCORM 1.2, the most common SCORM standard. This means SCORM 1.2 files can easily be imported into the platform’s content library from where the content can be accessed to build learning journeys. You can also add SCORM to a course template, either by creating multiple SCORM activities at once or one SCORM activity at a time.
The complete SCORM package has no maximum file size, though individual files within the package cannot be larger than 512MB. Thanks to aNewSpring’s user-friendly interface, the process is super simple and easy to use.
Join the AI-powered training revolution
At New Leaf Technologies we believe AI, and AIaaS or “AI as a Service,” will be the next big thing in eLearning content development. With aNewSpring and Articulate in your L&D arsenal, businesses, instructional designers, and learners alike are set to benefit in ways that were not thought humanly possible just a few years ago.
Get in touch if you’d like to know more about how our AI-powered training solutions can help you create your online courses.
